Munish Sood
MANDI:
Himachal Pradesh Public Works and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh has come out strongly in support of the Dev Sansad held in Kullu district’s Naggar, where over 350 local deities’ representatives (debraas) cautioned people not to turn the state’s sacred temples and holy sites into tourist destinations.
In a firmly worded Facebook post, the minister echoed the divine assembly’s sentiments, saying that protecting faith, culture and nature is essential for Himachal’s future. “True devotion is reflected in actions that respect our environment and sacred traditions. Every road, tourism project or urban expansion must ensure that the sanctity of our temples and dev parampara remains untouched,” he wrote.
Calling the Dev Sansad’s message “a wake-up call”, he said that the government would make preservation of religious sites, ecological balance and traditional values a top priority in all policy decisions. “We will ensure that every development plan respects Himachal’s cultural heritage and natural ecosystem,” he said, adding that unchecked commercialisation of holy spaces would not be tolerated.
The minister also announced the government’s commitment to integrate Himachal Green Development Fund, Climate Smart Building Code and traditional knowledge systems into its long-term sustainable planning.
The Dev Sansad, a rare congregation of hundreds of deities and their custodians, was held in Kullu this week and it sent a strong message to both citizens and authorities not to commercialise faith. The deities’ representatives urged restraint against turning sacred temples into selfie points or tourism zones, warning that such practices invited nature’s wrath.
Vikramaditya’s open endorsement of the dev samaj’s concerns has drawn widespread appreciation from traditional communities across the Kullu valley. Many see it as a significant political and cultural moment where the state’s leadership aligned itself with the voice of the deities.
As Himachal continues to face the consequences of reckless urban expansion, landslides and environmental distress, Singh’s statement underscores a growing realisation that sustainable development and spiritual preservation must go hand in hand in the land of gods.
